March 1: The Comeback Country

President Offers Theme of Nation Seeing a Comeback (NYT)
Bolstered by positive economic trends, President Obama is campaigning on an optimistic message of recovery and rebirth. To be fair, he can't really go with "Wow, the last four years sucked. Can I get a do-over?"

The Two Cadillacs Fallacy (WaPo)
E.J. Dionne argues Romney and Santorum are both right-wing extremists who constantly say things that betray their regressive views. The difference is Santorum gets called on it while Romney gets a pat on the head for being a silly rich man.

After Many Tough Choices, the Choice to Quit (NYT)
Olympia Snowe is leaving the Senate after deciding there's no room for a moderate in a broken Congress that wants to relitigate contraception debates that were settled 50 years ago, back when some of her colleagues were having midlife crises.

Explainer: Why Do We Need a Volcker Rule? (The Nation)
Roosevelt Institute Fellow Mike Konczal looks at how the Volcker Rule serves as a modern-day Glass-Steagall, separating banks that are meant to be safe places to keep your money from freewheeling casinos that occasionally blow up the economy.

Occupy Vigilantes Write New Volcker Rule Script (Bloomberg)
Susan Antilla writes that the Occupiers' Volcker Rule strategy is proving not only that reports of the movement's death have been greatly exaggerated, but that they have a lot more savvy and policy expertise than many gave them credit for.

Can Occupy pull off a general strike? (Salon)
After a quiet winter, the Occupy movement is hoping to make a splashy return by organizing a nationwide general strike on May Day. Sometimes the only way to prove you're not a mob of unemployed hippies is to walk off your job and go protest.

Stop Starving Public Universities and Shrinking the Middle Class (Robert Reich)
Rick Santorum need not worry that sending everyone to college will breed a generation of monocle-wearing elitists. As Robert Reich notes, cuts to student aid and rising tuition costs are making it harder for anyone to afford an education.

A German History Lesson (TAP)
Robert Kuttner writes that German policymakers who expect Greece to accept endless economic punishment should remember that the Allies wrote off its debts after World War II and that post-World War I reparations led to, well, you know.

Wall Street Bonus Withdrawal Means Trading Aspen for Coupons (Bloomberg)
A single mom struggling to make ends meet while working two jobs might think she has it tough, but what about the 1% who have been forced to buy cheaper cereal and cut back on their summer vacations? If you prick them, do they not bleed?

With additional research by Roosevelt Institute intern Elena Callahan.